National team

Playing in my first senior tournament for GB was new grounds for me, and I was happy I could share the experience some of my Vipers teammates and the rest of the GB squad. The opposition posed a whole new level of quality and intensity compared to when I competed at U19 level and in the league, playing the likes of the Swiss and German teams seemed simultaneously daunting and exciting.

I didn’t know what to expect when travelling to Poland, but the occasion they hosted exceeded my expectations, with the scale and the quality of the event perfectly delivered, to which those who attended will be able to agree with me. The fans of all 5 nations created a great atmosphere which carried on throughout the week, creating the perfect stage for me to start my senior GB playing career.

Although we lost all of our matches, team spirit was high all week, with everyone giving 100% effort towards their performances. Our match against Spain was particularly close, taking the lead during the early stages, and then momentarily losing concentration giving them a flattering score line of 5-9. The experience and involvement in my first tournament has provided me with the quality of floorball I need to raise my game for the next WFC Qualifiers, and has given me something to focus on for the coming years.

It was an honour to wear the GB flag across my shirt and playing in my first senior tournament. I would like to thank Matt Sellars and Andy Lovell as well as the UKFF for their efforts in organising this event – a moment I will have with me for the rest of my life, hopefully with many more to come.

Peter Halket, #99

UK floorball’s team spirit

There’s nothing quite like playing sport for your country. It doesn’t matter what the occasion, the sport or where you’re playing, it always brings a feeling of pride that makes you give that extra 20%. It helps too when you’re surrounded by great teammates.

I recently went to the World Floorball Cup Qualifiers in Łochów, Poland with the UK floorball squad. I’m not going to lie: we got hammered in most of our games. However, if you watch the games carefully then you’ll see 20 guys who went out there and gave it all they had. We had a plan and we stuck to it 100% and that’s why we can hold our heads high. We’ve got a long way to improve from 29th in the world, but with the spirit and resolve we showed in Pland – we gave the Spanish side a good run for their money the day after losing 23-0 to Switzerland – we’ve got a squad with the potential to go for it.

That spirit and resolve exists because we get along so well off the pitch. We might not get the chance to meet up that often, but we have a good time when we do. Switzerland may win a lot of floorball matches, but they will never have Staffan Taylor and Sean Kettle performing the ‘Taylor and Kettle Show’ and entertaining a coach full of people with hilarious interviews and jokes. We make sure we always take this ‘work hard, play hard’ attitude onto the pitch for every game and fight for every goal. Hopefully it shows to all the spectators watching our games.

Floorball may not be a large sport in the UK, but with the spirit we have in the national squad then we’ve always got a fighting chance. Even if we lose, we’ll still have a good time and attempt to give as good as we get.

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